YGC: Students could win $5,000 to clean-up river

WAUKON (KWWL) Tires, garbage, barrels. Those are some of the items students at Allamakee Community Schools want to help clean out of the Mississippi River.

Students in a business writing class had to come up with an idea to help the community. One of those projects is getting national attention and could win $5,000.

Anna Sweeney and Kayla Smith are two of four team members hoping to win money for their project idea.

Their group came up with an idea to help Friends of Pool 9, a non-profit organization, with its yearly clean-up of the Mississippi River.

"The river is such a disaster. There's logs, tires and who knows what else," said Anna Sweeney.

"We're so close to the river and we're there pretty much everyday of the summer, and it's gross to go out there to an island and say wow people can't respect themselves enough to clean it up," said Kayla Smith.

The girls submitted their Friends of Pool 9 idea to Pepsi Refresh for a chance to win thousands of dollars. If they win, the money will help with next year's clean-up near Lansing.

"What we're gonna do is buy and sell t-shirts to all our volunteers who help us. We're gonna provide food for volunteers, gas for their boats and garbage bags and gloves and everything else that's needed to help the river," said Sweeney.

Only the top ten projects win money. You can help Pool 9 get into the top ten by voting. Here is a link to the web site.

"I think people understand the importance, especially in this area, of the river itself because it's not only our habitat or fun time, but it's actually a place that draws people to town so it's important to our economy," said teacher Beverly Berns.